Laura Richardson

Dr. Laura Richardson is a Research Fellow at the School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, focusing on tropical coral reefs and ecosystem-based management. Her work integrates biophysical drivers and human impacts to advance coral reef conservation under climate change.

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow (FISHSCALE project)
• Contributor to Nature Ecology and Evolution and Proceedings of the Royal Society B
• Specializes in statistical modeling and functional ecology

Dr. Richardson's research explores how climate change and anthropogenic stressors alter coral reef ecosystem organization. She leads interdisciplinary collaborations with institutions in Australia, USA, and France, emphasizing cross-scale ecological patterns and recovery baselines.

Recent publications analyze depth zonation disruptions, reef soundscape AI, and post-bleaching recovery. Her 15 most recent works span 2017-2025, addressing topics from marine heatwaves to artificial habitat design.

Scientific Awards:

• Dillwyn Medal in STEMM (2024)
• Marie Curie Fellowships (2019, 2024)
• Virginia Chadwick Award (2019, 2018)
• Above and Beyond Award (University of Exeter, 2018)

She supervises MRes and MSc students, including Thea Moule (2021-2023) and Jessica Harvey (2020). Her datasets on reef fish FD and depth zonation are publicly available via ZENODO. Dr. Richardson serves on the editorial board of Coral Reefs (2023-2024) and has presented at international workshops like the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies.